Trek Y-11 upgrade or just buy new?

I have a 9 year old Y-11 carbon fiber frame. The components are pretty well toast at this point (including both shocks). I feel that I can upgrade for about $1100 to mostly XT parts and 2 new shocks. This is the same price as a sweet hardtail. The question is upgrade to a plush ride that may or may not handle well (and still won't climb well) or get a light hard tail? Another FS bike is not out of the question, but for $1100, I think it will be pretty heavy. I need some help. Thanks.

I have a 9 year old Y-11 carbon fiber frame. The components are pretty well toast at this point (including both shocks). I feel that I can upgrade for about $1100 to mostly XT parts and 2 new shocks. This is the same price as a sweet hardtail. The question is upgrade to a plush ride that may or may not handle well (and still won't climb well) or get a light hard tail? Another FS bike is not out of the question, but for $1100, I think it will be pretty heavy. I need some help. Thanks.

I would rather have Deore components on a good frame than XT components on a Trek Y bike. You can do a lot better these day with just about anything.

I second that

The frame and suspension design will have more to do with how the bike handles, than component groupos. In fact, the frames are usually nearly identical between groupo levels of bikes. I say get a good base to work on, and upgrade the components as you feel you need to.

Smash the frame and see if Trek will warranty it, maybe tie a rope through the BB hole and one through the headtube, attach one end to a tree the other end to your car, and finish it. Haha. Sorry I'm done now.

the thread you quote makes no mention of URTs. I've owned URTs. They don't bob from the drivetrain, they bob from people alternating between seated and standing body position and not realizing they're changing the sprung and unsprung weights of the rear suspension when they do so. Tuning the rear suspension for proper sag when seated will cause the bike to extend when you stand on the pedals (because you're moving weight off the saddle, which was pushing the mainframe down and against the shock). Do this while in motion and the bike bobs. If you can learn to stay seated they pedal very efficiently since the drivetrain torque isn't trying to compress/extend the suspension like other designs.
Also like other single-pivots they also experience braking problems with the rear suspension.

The most basic reason why URTs fell out of favour was market perception. After about 1997 people wanted FULLY ACTIVE suspension designs. Not semi-active ones. Now though, with everyone clamoring for pedal lockouts and designs that don't have pedal influence of the suspension, and stable platform shocks and so on, URTs are viable again, because they don't have chaintorque bob to worry about. If people can wrap their little brains around the concept of having to remain seated while going over bumps.

I have a 9 year old Y-11 carbon fiber frame. The components are pretty well toast at this point (including both shocks). I feel that I can upgrade for about $1100 to mostly XT parts and 2 new shocks. This is the same price as a sweet hardtail. The question is upgrade to a plush ride that may or may not handle well (and still won't climb well) or get a light hard tail? Another FS bike is not out of the question, but for $1100, I think it will be pretty heavy. I need some help. Thanks.

Why so much money for new components?! haven't you heard of sales and ebay ?!?

Why so much money for new components?! haven't you heard of sales and ebay ?!?

The problem these days with eBay is that new bike components sell for pretty much the same as retail prices.

I sometimes suspect that in many of these auctions, the seller dummy-bids his/her own item through a second or third account. Still, in the end some sucker shells out for the item at the same price as can be had from many online shops, except that the latter often have return or money-back guarantees.

the thread you quote makes no mention of URTs. I've owned URTs. They don't bob from the drivetrain, they bob from people alternating between seated and standing body position and not realizing they're changing the sprung and unsprung weights of the rear suspension when they do so. Tuning the rear suspension for proper sag when seated will cause the bike to extend when you stand on the pedals (because you're moving weight off the saddle, which was pushing the mainframe down and against the shock). Do this while in motion and the bike bobs. If you can learn to stay seated they pedal very efficiently since the drivetrain torque isn't trying to compress/extend the suspension like other designs.
Also like other single-pivots they also experience braking problems with the rear suspension.

The most basic reason why URTs fell out of favour was market perception. After about 1997 people wanted FULLY ACTIVE suspension designs. Not semi-active ones. Now though, with everyone clamoring for pedal lockouts and designs that don't have pedal influence of the suspension, and stable platform shocks and so on, URTs are viable again, because they don't have chaintorque bob to worry about. If people can wrap their little brains around the concept of having to remain seated while going over bumps.

New Bike

You can find a good new bike for the price you are thinking about spending to upgrade. Plus the Y frames tend to break. And if you buy a like new used bike you can get a little bit better of a bike but you have to be willing to do some research. Hope that helps!

For some odd reason, folks (heh... I accidentally typed 'fools' but fixed it.. maybe I shouldn't have) are actually looking for those bikes, especially in carbon. Double especially if it has spinergy wheels. I think some folks feel that is the sweetest bike ever made, and all the chicks will come flocking with their panties flying off or something when they see the rider doing front flips, BikerFox style.

You'll get a crapload of cash for it that you can use to buy a good bike.

A Trek Y bike with good components paired with a remote lockout shock or at least a "propedal" or CTD (TRAIL mode) designed shock is a very capable machine.....some trek Y bikes are had for cheap.

-They are light and can be super light if your a weight weenie.
-Disc can be installed on them pretty simply.
-front fork air/rear shock air combo does wonders for it...again (remote lockout, propedal/Trail).
-and the geometry on them isn't all slacked out like most today's bikes's...so if your XC/all mountain you can get a sharp cornering bike.

To each their own...
The masses of 4 link designs out there are not all that great..
-J

A Trek Y bike with good components paired with a remote lockout shock or at least a "propedal" or CTD (TRAIL mode) designed shock is a very capable machine.....some trek Y bikes are had for cheap.

-They are light and can be super light if your a weight weenie.
-Disc can be installed on them pretty simply.
-front fork air/rear shock air combo does wonders for it...again (remote lockout, propedal/Trail).
-and the geometry on them isn't all slacked out like most today's bikes's...so if your XC/all mountain you can get a sharp cornering bike.

To each their own...
The masses of 4 link designs out there are not all that great..
-J

What???

Why a remote lock out? Why propedal?

Which "4 ink" design that you've tried? How's are they compare to the trek y?

If your asking why, then you don't seem to know ish...get over yourself...if you don't have anything good to offer then leave....

I know the thread is old, but others will find and use its information as they see fit.

I have designed suspension before, have and used software that only hand full of people out there can even afford or their company have licenses for.....im done talking to internet mimi's who "think" they know some ish..

If your asking why, then you don't seem to know ish...get over yourself...if you don't have anything good to offer then leave....

I know the thread is old, but others will find and use its information as they see fit.

I have designed suspension before, have and used software that only hand full of people out there can even afford or their company have licenses for.....im done talking to internet mimi's who "think" they know some ish..

-J

Yeah whatever, don't give me your resume, tell me how your suggestion would make a URT Trek Y would be better than the mass designs like Giant, or Titus.

Not all URT are equal, the newer design like the Zorro by Castellano would be just as competent as the current offering. I have an Ibis Szabo URT I don't plan to build it up to compete with my other bikes because it can't, but it would be a fun SS bike. I know that Trail mode CTD, remote lock out, and propedal ain't going to do "ish".

tell me how your suggestion would make a URT Trek Y would be better than the mass designs like Giant, or Titus.

Where did i say that??? re-read my post...i never said bike A is better or equal or anything to any bike B. it seems you read my post and got butt hurt for some reason...interesting...

I said its a capable machine, all rigs have their preferred uses....

Many 4 links out there are not much better, some however are amazing designs and work very very well.

It just seems the handful of trek Y threads turn into bashing sessions of design, by those that don't know much of it.....if a bike does what you need great...i simply gave my input to aid the performance of the design of the bike.....i mean, trek did offer the Y back in the day with the stratos shock lockout remote feature?? and they sold it lower end models with spring coils... people bought what was in their budget, or what they wanted for its design and their use of it. kinda similar to much of the options out there on bikes now. go figure....

i agree with your statement not all urts are equal....again, i gave input to help those inquiring on this thread.

I have ridden back in the day the Ibis Szabo....nice bike...fun stuff...

Jason, according to what you've posted so far, it seems like you have not read the OP. For the budget, he can easily get another bike new or used for $1,100 that can out performed the Trek Y.

You can't seriously suggesting to OP to spend his $1100 for Trek Y upgrade, instead of buying another bike, can you?

There are reason why people bash the URT, bad rep for the URT but not necessary its fault. The designer like the Schwinn Homegrown, Klein Mantra, and Trek Y were designing FS bike to feel like a hardtail and it just suffers, plus the Geometry is out of date with short 80mm travel in the front, and 125+ rear travel. It makes the bike feel snappier on the climb but shaky on the descend, top the whole thing with stiff suspension it's a disaster compare to the "modern" geometry.

If you're going to make insane claims that are contrary to commonly held beliefs then follow it up by being rude to a respected member of the board then that's what you get. Not that it matters, really but that's the only recourse we have.

Are you going to actually back up your claims? Sure a PP equipped URT bike will pedal better than a non PP URT bike but there's no comparison to a multi bar bike. For starters, at least a multi bar bike doesn't have the seat to BB distance change during riding.

Don't you hate it when a sentence doesn't end the way you think it octopus?